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Saturday’s massive avalanche on Loveland Pass that killed five men was a stark reminder that backcountry skiers and snowboarders are far from out of the woods of avalanche danger this season.

“Even though the calendar says it’s April, we’re seeing snow conditions like it’s February,” said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, or CAIC. “Skiers need to be aware that the conditions aren’t normal for this time of year. We’re not done with this avalanche season yet.”

Greene, who lives in Fort Collins, said that an unstable snowpack, coupled with April’s unusually heavy snowfall, could be a recipe for several more large avalanches this season. Already, 11 people have been killed in avalanches during the 2012-13 snow season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

It’s not unusual for recreationists to ski and snowboard Cameron Pass in State Forest State Park until early June, so locals should be aware of avalanche conditions in the Nokhu Crags, Diamond Peaks and Montgomery Pass. Greene said the CAIC will forecast avalanche conditions three times a week through Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27).

Greene spoke with the Coloradoan on Monday to reflect on Colorado’s deadliest avalanche in more than 50 years and forecast the rest of the season.

Has April been atypical?

Yes, it has been unusual. It’s been colder than normal and quite wet. The thing that has been unusual is that we’re continuing to build on top of the large, unstable slabs which have given us problems throughout the season. We’re not usually still building this time of year, and the avalanche danger isn’t usually this high at this time.

What is the danger with these large slabs of snow?

In Colorado, it’s not unusual for us to have some structural weakness. This year, the snow has been especially weak. The weak snow formed on the ground back in November.

Since the early season, we’ve built slabs on top of that and when we get that new, heavy snow like got last week, is when the chances for avalanches arise and create dangerous conditions. These are called deep persistent slab avalanches.

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The five men killed in Saturday’s avalanche were all very experienced. Could they have done anything differently to prevent being killed?

This avalanche and accident is one that is confusing to us. They had the proper rescue equipment. They were all described as responsible, caring and knowledgeable snowboarders and skiers. One of them had extensive avalanche education and training.

They were in an area that was well-described in our bulletin and they triggered an avalanche that was well-described in our bulletin and was warned about. It’s a really important accident for us to report because of its size and the lives lost.

What are the avalanche conditions on Cameron Pass?

There’s nothing terribly unusual going on at Cameron Pass right now although, like a lot of the weak snow we’ve seen, there are conditions that exist in the Nokhu Crags that could trigger an avalanche similar to the near Vail Pass last week (an April 18 avalanche that killed one snowboarder). As we’ve seen this season, Cameron Pass is a place where skiers should exercise caution.

What’s the forecast for the rest of the rest of the season?

Hopefully good skiing. But with that, I’d advise for skiers to stay on lower angle and not-so-exposed slopes. We are going to transition into spring; and the later in the year that happens, the more rapid transition we’ll see.

Typically in the colder temperatures, the same avalanche danger lasts for days, but any time there is heating, the avalanche conditions can change daily. It looks like this week, we’re continuing to see spring snowstorms and showers. New snow will only exacerbate the current snowpack.

Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or Facebook.com/meyersreports.